TEEN PREGNANCY: OPINION AND FACT

Friday

Apr 19, 2013 at 12:01 AMApr 19, 2013 at 11:54 PM

Tiana Bedford

Let's get into something more serious, and more delicate. Teen Pregnancy. In my opinion this isn't a "delicate" topic. Then again, I'm a very opened person, and will speak out no matter the circumstances. I think teen pregnancy can be a bad thing, yet it can be a blsesing in disguise.

I am a teen mom. I had my son when I was 18, got pregnant when I was 17. I was engaged, happy, and knew that I was ready to take on the challenges and responsibilities of another human being. My husband, fiance at the time, knew that he had to step up, and become the man and father a child needs. My son wasn't planned, but isn't a mistake. He is a wonderful, beautiful blessing in disguise. I learned and matured so much from one person in a short period of time, I didn't know was possible.

You have the teen moms like myself; well put together, stable household, supporting families, and a loving partner to hold your hand through thick and thin. Then you have the teen moms who do not have the luxary of support and a stable home. Which, here is where I'm not delicate. People who do not have stable homes, and/or supporting families, seem to raise their child with less emotion and attatchment. Some teen mom's turn down the wrong path, drugs, alchohol, partying all night. Some people don't have a choice, but everyone has a choice. The one's who make wrong choices want you to feel sorry for them..Want pitty on their bad choices. Then they wonder why the government took their child away.

That last paragraph may have sounded harsh, and uncalled for, but it's the truth. Now, I'm not saying all teen mothers are like that, but I've seen quite a few, and all they do is leave their kid with someone else, and act like their child is non-existing. Sad right? Don't feel sad, instead of wasting the emotion on feeling sorry for the baby, pray that the child will be safe in a home where he/she deserves to be. I've seen the worst mother's, but I have seen some mother's where all they do is spend the time they have with their child. it's amazing when you see those mother's who want nothing but to be with their son or daughter.

Since I bashed on teen mom's who are unwilling to take the challenges and responsibilities of being a mother, I will talk about the perks of being a young mother. Being a young mother means mature faster, sacrifice more, and don't complain. Some people frown upon being a teenage mother, but in reality, it's a great thing for young people to expierence. Why? It teaches young adults the real world, before they go to the real world. You have to work for the diapers, the formula, the milk, clothes, baby accessories. You have more energy to spend time with the baby, more energy to do breath taking activities. The list goes on, but it ends when you have the feeling that the whole world is in the palm of your hands when you hold that baby. A young mother is not a chore, it's not a job, it's a blessing. It's a symbol of strength that God gave you. He knew that you could take on a challenge so delicate and fragile. People who frown upon it, only look at the cons and judge instantly.

Let's get to statistics in the U.S shall we? Three-quarters of a million teens between the ages of 15-19 get pregnant each year. 82% of teens get pregnant unintended, but very few teen mothers plan. Two-thirds of teen pregnancies occur among 18-19 years old. Teen mothers accounts for 11% of all births in the U.S. Out of all teen pregnancies, 57% of them end in birth, and 14% of them end in miscarriages. Out of all teen pregnancies, 29% of teens choose abortions. U.S teen pregnancy rates are higher than those of other developed countires. U.S rates are twice as high as in England and Wales or Canada, and eight times as high as in the Netherlands and Japan.

I give props to the teen moms who started out with nothing, and gave their child the best life they could, because they tried their hardest. Those teen moms have my deepest respect, and aplause. I'm not here to pin point the bad mom's, or judge, this is simply an opinion. Judging is far from what I'm going for, far from what I am trying to do.

Teen pregnancy is 100% preventable! Always use a form of birth control and condoms! Better way of going is abstinence!

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